Release Week Blitz & Giveaway: ONE WEEK TO THE WEDDING by Olivia Miles

Jun 12, 2017

Sometimes the road to happily ever after takes a few wrong turns...

Kate Daniels couldn't be more excited to be planning her best friend's wedding...in theory. Lately, just thinking about gowns and centerpieces makes her want to hide under the covers with her dog and a good book—one that doesn't include a romantic plot, thank you very much. Maybe it's because her fiancé cheated. Or maybe it's because he cheated with her younger sister, Charlotte. Or maybe it's because her newfound reputation as jilted wedding planner isn't exactly doing wonders for her career.

Charlotte knows she messed up. Big time. But she also knows something Kate doesn't—something that might bring them close again, if her sister will ever take her calls. But as time passes and silence grows, Charlotte begins to realize she can't hide from her problems forever, and that sometimes the only place to run is home.

With the wedding only a week away, Kate expects a few surprises. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself believing in the strength of family, and the possibility of finding love again.

Alec was
leaning against the pole of a street light when Kate approached. Dressed in
khaki shorts and a crisp white t-shirt that accentuated every curve of his
thick biceps, Kate’s resolve since her conversation with Elizabeth had already
weakened and she found herself fighting off the urge to run her hands over that
rippled chest--

And that was
officially crazy talk.

It had just
been too long since she’d touched a man, that was all. It was a natural
reaction that surely anyone would have to someone of the opposite sex after all
this time. Especially one who looked like Alec.

“Hey!” He
flashed her a big grin as she closed the distance between them.

She brightened
at the sight of his friendly smile, wishing the response wasn’t so automatic.
“Hey.”

Alec gestured
to the bistro. “It’s full, but the wait should only be a few minutes.”

“I don’t mind,”
Kate said, glancing at the customers who had filled the stretch of sidewalk
tables. It was a romantic restaurant, one of the best in Misty Point, but she
knew better than to assume this was why Alec had chosen it. He was visiting
town, it was close to his hotel, and from an outsider’s point of view it
probably just looked like a nice place to eat. Besides, he was probably used to
picking the finest options. It was surely nothing more than that.’

And she
shouldn’t wish it to be.

Just thinking of how betrayed her friend would
feel to know that Kate was siding with the enemy was enough to make her come up
with an excuse and leave. Going through with this dinner at this cozy little
spot would make her the worst kind of friend there was. She knew too many
people like this already, and she didn’t want to follow in their example.

She stole a
glance at him, taking in the strong width of his back as he casually studied
the menu outside the restaurant, his hands thrust in his pockets, his hair wavy
and dark and just begging for her to tangle her fingers through…Stop it!

She opened her
mouth, knowing she had to say something, but not knowing quite what, when she
saw him. Jake. He was coming around
the corner, laughing that laugh, smiling that smile, without a care in the
world. He was rounding the bend, coming in her direction. She watched in frozen
horror, not knowing whether to hide or run. Her mind ran rampant with every worst
case scenario. Was he coming to the restaurant? Would he speak to her? What
would she say?

What was he
even doing here? He was supposed to be gone, long gone.

And then she
remembered. The phone calls. Charlotte. Panicking, she darted her gaze, searching
for her sister, not knowing what she would say if she saw her.

“Alec.” Her
voice locked in her throat, coming out strained and forced.

He turned to
face her, his eyes growing wide at the sight of her. “Are you okay?”

“I need you to
do me a favor,” she whispered urgently. Her heart was pounding as her eyes
zipped from Alec to Jake and back again.

He hadn’t
noticed her. Not yet. But he would. And soon.

Alec rolled his
eyes in a joking way. “Do the best man duties ever end? What do you need me to do now? Arrange
flowers? Frost the cake? Oh…I know. Kiss the bride?”

“No. Kiss me.”
She blinked, shocked by her own words. It was rash, impulsive, and desperate.
She was probably sending him all the wrong messages. But she didn’t even care.

For once, she
wasn’t thinking about the ripple effect of her actions. Or what she would say
in five minutes. All she could think about was the here and now. And that if
she didn’t have time to run and hide from the people who had publicly
humiliated her, the most she could do was prove to Jake—and Charlotte--that was
over it. That they hadn’t hurt her. That she was just fine.

Alec’s eyes
flashed as the smile vanished from his face, replaced with a look of surprise.
“What?”

“Kiss me,” she
repeated breathlessly, her mind racing. She hadn’t even contemplated the
thought that he might turn her down, laugh in her face, storm off. It would
make it all worse--seal her humiliation. “I need you to kiss me. Right now.”

Alec’s
expression was frozen and for a moment Kate was struck with the horrifying
thought that he would drag this out, or turn it into a joke. She didn’t have
time for that. But then his brows lifted and his lips curled into a devilish
grin. “If you insist,” he murmured, reaching down to scoop his arms around her
waist in one smooth effort.

His kiss was
anything but shy as he pressed his lips to hers, pulling her so close to his
chest she could feel the heat of his body through his shirt.

Her knees went a little weak as she let
herself go, and for a moment, she wasn’t even thinking of Jake or Charlotte at
all. She wasn’t thinking of the hurt, the pain, or what would happen next, when
they broke apart. She wasn’t thinking of anything

Olivia Miles writes women's fiction and contemporary romance. A city girl with a fondness for small town charm, Olivia enjoys highlighting both ways of life in her stories. She lives just outside Chicago with her husband, young daughter, and two ridiculously pampered pups. You can learn more at: www.oliviamilesbooks.com

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